Sorry this took so long my work schedule has been all over the place so I've hardly had time to do anything DX

Also sorry for my inappropriate language towards you all last chapter. Guess the stress finally got to me lol

Well I hope everyone enjoys the end of the "False Gods" Arc.

A few hours after departing from the Project Station, after the Relay was destroyed and the Reapers successfully delayed, The Normandy arrived at the Arcturus Station. It pulled up alongside one of the docking tubes and latched in while Shepard and Alex prepared for Hacketts arrival. The trip aboard the Normandy ship was... Unsettling, for both of them.

Shepard was still very suspicious of Alex, having no idea how he was still alive and having no clue what he could do. And Alex was nearly forced to socialize with annoying talkative crew members. He couldn't go ten feet on this ship without bumping into someone new, human or otherwise.

But now that was over, the two of them waited in the briefing room for Hackett to arrive. Shepard made sure that Tali disabled all of The Illusive Mans bugs beforehand so they might talk in private. She was still on the fence about whether to tell Hackett of Alex Mercer's existence, he seemed to be trustworthy enough to gain Liara's vote but that didn't mean Shepard had to fall right in line.

Alex himself was busy thinking of some things he needed to ask Hackett, but it had to be done tactfully if he wanted to keep his identity a secret. He had only one thing to be sure of before the war began, one thing to assure that nothing but the Reapers would stand against him.

He needed to find Blackwatch.

Of course he had no idea if it even still existed, but he wasn't one to leave loose ends.

Both their thoughts were interrupted as the door slid open, the old bearded man in an Alliance uniform stepped in. Shepard, being the girlscout she was, saluted immediately. Alex just rolled his eyes and waited.

"At ease Commander," He nodded stepping forward, the door closing behind him, "So I take this man is..."

"That's right Admiral," Shepard nodded, "He's the one that delayed the Reapers by destroying the Alpha Relay."

Hackett eyed Alex over for a few minutes, noting his strange clothing with a knowing look in his eyes. He sighed after a few moments and stepped forward extending a hand, "You did a fine job, I'm happy to find out the rumors about you aren't true."

If Alex had a heart, it would have skipped a beat, "What?" He managed to say, ignoring Hackett's offer to shake hands.

"I'm assuming there is much you still don't know," Hackett retracted his hand, "I don't know what you've missed but what occurred in Manhattan has become an important part of human history over the last century."

Alex crossed his arms eyeing Hackett suspiciously, "So you know who... What, I am?"

Hackett nodded, "For the most part, but of course... Any former member of Blackwatch would."

Alex didn't think, he acted. His right arm morphing into a jagged blade as he prepared to defend himself or kill Hackett.

"What the fuck!?" Shepard gasped reaching for her gun.

"At ease Commander," Hackett interrupted calmly before returning his attention to Mercer, "You have nothing to worry about Alex, Blackwatch disbanded decades ago, I left even before that."

"And I should just take your word on that?" Alex scoffed with a dark smirk.

Hackett shrugged, "Well it's all I can give you aside from information, Blackwatch was shut down 20 years ago after they lost a high priority asset, code name Pariah."

Alex narrowed his eyes, something about that name was familiar but he couldn't place it, "What was so important about the asset that they got shut down for losing it?" He asked suspiciously.

"Pariah was Elizabeth Greene's child, from Hope Idaho." He explained, the words taking Alex completely off guard, "He was being studied and contained for over a century until another Black Ops group managed to spring him, hasn't been heard from since."

"Do you know who did it?" Alex asked quickly.

Hackett shook his head, "Unfortunately no, and by now it would be pointless to look, they were very good at covering their tracks and we were still recovering from the Contact War and trying to find our place in the Galactic Community."

"Hang on hang on," Shepard interrupted suddenly, "I'm feeling a little left out right now, so can somebody please explain how Mercer isn't a bad guy, and who the hell Blackwatch and Elizabeth Greene are?"

The good Admiral nodded, "Officially, Blackwatch does not exist. It was a black operations unit that was given free reign when it came to containing viral outbreaks. The organization had access to vast stockpiles of military arsenal and experimental technologies, in addition to controlling the most refined information control technologies, vital to preserving the ignorance of the American public. However, following the initial Manhattan outbreak, they became publicly known, though the extent of their atrocities remained a well kept secret."

"And Elizabeth Greene was the mother of the virus... Her body some how altered it, made it more powerful," Alex added leaning against the wall, "She was the center of the first outbreak... And I... I released her to infect the city..."

"Why would you-"

"Because I thought she was in trouble," Alex cut her off sharply, "My sister found footage of her holding cell, she looked like a scared child... I had the power to get her out so I used it and I wanted to get back at Blackwatch for what they did to me... But I had no idea what she was capable of..."

Hackett cleared his throat, "History points to Alex Mercer being the most dangerous terrorist of our time, but all it takes to change history is one good lie and a river of blood." Hackett sighed shaking his head.

"And Blackwatch has spilled plenty of blood," Mercer added solemnly, his eyes downcast by his hood, "I won't say I haven't done horrible things, the voices in my head constantly remind me otherwise... But now... I suppose I've turned over a new leaf... Maybe."

"Before we go any further," Shepard narrowed her eyes at Alex, "I need to know, why did you release the virus a second time?"

Alex looked at her with one eyebrow raised, "Why?... Well," He thought it over for a moment and chuckled lightly, "It seems so stupid now... But I was under the impression that humanity was stagnant, dying... Too full of corruption and selfishness to ever be saved... So I felt that, it was my responsibility to fix things."

"So you tried to kill everyone with the infection!?" Shepard exclaimed.

"No no no," Alex casually waved off her outburst while Hackett listened intently, "I tried to unite them, through the virus I wanted to create a hive mind... No more pain or anger or hunger or disease... But I didn't want to, I was fine leaving humanity to kill itself off until I started feeling responsible... I had the powers of a god and couldn't just keep them to myself... And then James Heller showed up."

"James Heller?" Shepard raised an eyebrow, having never heard that name before.

"He was like Alex," Hackett explained, "Mercer infected him in hopes of adding him to his ranks, but Heller didn't play along."

Alex chuckled, "Bastard threw a wrench into every one of my plans, killed off so many of my kind... And then he came for me."

"And killed you." Hackett finished.

"Only because I let him..." Alex sighed, "I was tired Hackett, tired of it all... The fighting the death the pain... I didn't want to be humanities solution, and Heller gave me the chance to end it, so I took it, threw the fight and let him consume me."

"And how aren't you dead then?" Shepard asked suspiciously.

"Apparently somebody collected a blood sample of mine," He explained, "Probably Blackwatch, and it somehow ended up on Liara's ship, she was kind enough to spill me onto a body, I consumed that body and well... Here I am." He shrugged.

"Consumed?" Shepard repeated, "What do you mean consumed are you some kind of cannibal!?"

Alex laughed, "Calm down Commander, I am able to regenerate damage to my body by consuming biomass, when I was dropped onto the dying mercenary my blood went to work breaking down his body and shaping it into my own."

Shepard took a step back, disgust painting her face, "That is... Horrible..."

Hackett loudly cleared his throat, "Anyways, I think it's time we get to the meat of this meeting."

"And what might that be admiral?" Alex asked with a knowing smirk.

"I need to be sure right now Mercer, who's side you're on." Hackett said seriously, his hands locked behind his back, "When the war comes we'll need every asset on our side, and I can promise amnesty for any past crimes if you help us win... You wouldn't have to live in hiding anymore."

Tempting. Was the first word that came to Alex's mind, but certainly not the last. He turned and began pacing around the room, he had already decided to fight the war, but if he was gonna get something in return he'd have to think it over carefully.

After a few more minutes he stopped, "I want everything the government has on Blackwatch, and I mean everything."

Hackett raised an eyebrow, "And if we can get you those things... You'll help us defeat the Reapers? Save the galaxy?"

Alex crossed his arms, leaning against the wall with his eyes downcast by the hood, "Admiral I can't promise that everyone is going to make it out of this war alive, but if you get me what I want I promise that I will be the first one to set foot on the battlefield, and the last one to step off of it... Whether as a corpse or otherwise..."

Hackett nodded, "Glad to have you on board."

Working the fields wasn't exactly how he planned on spending his later years. This shit was usually left to the more able bodied men. Too bad most of them were taken in the Collector attack.

Sighing he wiped the sweat from his ebony brow and took a seat on the edge of the cart, grabbing a bottle of water to quench his thirst. Was he really thirsty? He asked himself, he'd been playing the role of normal human for so long it was hard to remember.

Realizing the bottle was empty he grunted in annoyance and tossed it aside, grabbing his jacket and walking off the fields. He'd finish this shit later, he decided. But as he neared his home James spotted several black shuttles parked outside with a few suspicious men standing around them.

Now, he definitely wasn't a law abiding citizen, but he was positive that you weren't supposed to land a shuttle right outside someones home... Well not on the lawn at least.

He crept in through the back door, wanting to see if he could find out who these people might be before doing anything drastic. He was just making his way through the kitchen when he heard footsteps behind him.

"James Heller?"

It's on! He immediately turned and prepared to swing his fist at the closest gun wielding soldier that might be standing there. He stopped dead in his tracts however, when he saw it was only a young man in a suit.

"The fuck you doing in my house?" He asked sharply, lowering his fist.

The man seemed to ignore the question, walking by the nearest window and looking out in the field, "Farmer now huh? Can't imagine you taking such a drastic change, you were a soldier once right?"

"Marine," Heller corrected, narrowing his eyes, "And you never stop being one."

"Well many of the other marines you slaughtered might disagree," He shrugged before extending a hand, "Admiral Fisk, Blackwatch Command."

Heller ignored his hand, "What the fuck is Blackwatch doing looking for me?" He demanded, "I haven't done shit in over a century so fuck off."

"This isn't about you Heller," Fisk calmly retracted his hand, "We've got a potential catastrophe on our hands and Blackwatch cannot handle this alone."

"Oh really?" Heller scoffed, "You held an under city under lockdown before, so tell me what you can't do?" He demanded crossing his arms.

"Kill Alex Mercer."

Heller's jaw dropped, "K-Kill... No no I killed that little emo fuck!" He asserted pointing a finger at Fisk, "Don't fuck with me, tell me what this is really about!?"

"Relax James," Fisk raised his hands defensively, "We got a call from one of our former members, someone she knows is in direct affiliation with a man named Alex Mercer, whether or not it is the same one doesn't matter right now we need to be prepared for another outbreak."

Heller hesitated for a moment, thinking over what he'd just heard, "So why the fuck did you come to me huh?" He demanded suddenly, "Go to the Alliance and ask those fucks for a fleet I'm sure they'd give it to you."

"Blackwatch isn't the power it used to be Heller," Fisk explained pacing back and forth slowly, "We were shut down years ago and only a handful of us remain, we managed to hold our accounts so we've got the credits but not the manpower or the weaponry for something like this."

Heller watched him closely, cautiously... "So what? You need me to kill your monster again?"

"To be blunt... Yes," Fisk shrugged, "We don't have our old resources but we have contacts and credits, we can help you in any way possible, you need a ship you've got one you need money you've got it. So long as we have your assistance."

Heller reached up, scratching his rough beard, "And if this guy doesn't turn out to be our monster?"

"Then we leave you here and forget we ever met," Fisk said simply, "You've done nothing wrong by us as far as I'm concerned... In fact, what most of our older members seem to forget is that you saved us all from Alex once..."

"Don't be a kiss ass."

Fisk chuckled lightly, "So, do we have your help?"

"... Fuck it. Let's go put this piece of shit back in the ground."

So ends the False Gods arc. And next up we have Chasing Shadows. I hope you guys are ready for many more twists and turns! Because if you thought this new development was crazy you're gonna lose your mind over this next arc.